I am very happy that the RSD 2020 is here again! Like in every year I look forward this event because of the glimpse it provides of the diverse and large amount of research activity going on in the institute. Teaching and Research are our bread and butter, and they complement each other. The research output and quality of research in the institute is growing in leaps and bounds. Our citation count per faculty is comparable to any institute in the country. The sponsored research project amount also has increased manifolds compared to our initial years.
All this success is due to the diligent effort and dedication of our research scholars. They are the lifeline of our research. My appeal to research scholars is to really burn the midnight well, push the frontiers of knowledge. Our honourable Prime Minister has set a target of trillion-dollar economy by 2025. Knowledge generation and dissemination will play a critical role in this. Artificial Intelligence for example is being directly linked with economic prosperity. AI is highly knowledge intensive, needing intense research and development.
It is indeed on the shoulders of research scholars that the reputation and visibility IIT Patna rests. Events like RSD help connect with one another in the institute. We also always have a line of eminent external speakers. This is great opportunity for students to witness excellence, which in turn breeds excellence. We make sure our eminent speakers are from humanities and social sciences, basic sciences and engineering. This gives harmonious perspective to the knowledge landscape.
At the end, I wish RSD 2020 grand success and repeat that we have to keep the promise of our institute song:
विश्व का मुकुटमणि आई आई टी पटना
सदा तत्पर सदा जाग्रत पीछे ना जाने हटना ।।
Prof. Pushpak Bhattacharyya
Director, IIT Patna